Two-Out Runs Lead U.S. Past Cuba, 8-1

THUNDER BAY, Canada - The USA Baseball 18U National Team scored all eight of its runs and had 11 hits with two outs on Tuesday as it defeated Cuba, 8-1, to finish pool play with a perfect 5-0 record at the 2017 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup.

The three-time defending World Cup champions, Team USA joins Korea as the only undefeated teams in the competition. With two games remaining on Wednesday, the U.S. now awaits those results before learning its schedule for the Super Round starting on Thursday.

Continuing the trend of dominant pitching for the U.S., starting pitcher Cole Wilcox (Chickamauga, Ga.) was outstanding against Cuba. The 6-5 righthander yielded only one unearned run on two hits and three walks while striking out five over seven stellar innings.

Through the first five games of World Cup action, the U.S. pitching staff has a combined 0.22 ERA with just a single earned run allowed over 41.0 innings pitched. A total of 10 pitchers have taken the mound for Team USA, combining to strike out 59 while yielding just 12 hits and holding opposing hitters to a .094 batting average.

Offensively, Team USA tied its tournament high with 13 hits in the contest on Tuesday, 11 of which came with two outs on the scoreboard.

Alek Thomas (Chicago, Ill.) led the way with a 3-for-4, two-RBI effort, while Anthony Seigler (Cartersville, Ga.) finished 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs as well. Mike Siani (Glenside, Pa.) and Raynel Delgado (Miami Lakes, Fla.) also added two hits apiece.

Cuba actually scored first, taking advantage of a U.S. error to plate an unearned run in the second which ended a streak of 34.0 innings without allowing a run by Team USA. That would be all Wilcox and the rest of the staff would allow for the rest of the day, however.

The U.S. offense responded immediately with a Thomas single tying the game in the second before adding five more runs over the next three innings to race out to a commanding, 6-1, lead.

A Siani RBI triple and a Carter Young infield single to bring him home accounted for the game's final two runs.

Team USA is the three-time defending World Cup champion and is looking to become the second country to win four-straight gold medals in the tournament.

Continue to follow @USABaseball18U on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the 18U National Team.

QUOTES

USA Baseball 18U National Team Manager Andy Stankiewicz

(On the offense breaking out on Tuesday)

"It was just a matter of time. The guys have been putting too much pressure on themselves and they just needed to relax and do what they are capable of doing. We are a really good offensive team. Sometimes when you get into a little bit of a funk guys start stressing out a little bit. It was great to see the guys relax and put some good at-bats together. To get all those runs with two outs is huge. The guys are getting excited about putting the ball in play and put some great swings together. That is what it is about. A lot of base hits back up the middle, a lot of opposite-field gaps. If we hit to the middle of the diamond we are pretty good offensively. If we get pull-conscious, pull-happy that's when we don't have as much success."

(On Cole Wilcox)

"Phenomenal job. He's just a competitor who attacks the zone and is a big, strong young man. He trusts his stuff, especially his fastball and attacks with it. He works off the fastball and that just makes his off-speed stuff that much better. He just did a great job of attacking the zone and going after hitters today."

(On finishing pool play undefeated)

"Every game we play we want to win and we've put ourselves in a good spot going into the Super Round. We know that we have a lot of work to do and we'll be facing the best three teams from the other bracket in the Super Round. They are in the Super Round for a reason, they are playing well, so we have some work in front of us. To finish our side at 5-0 is a great accomplishment and step one. Step two is the Super Round and we are looking forward to the challenge."

(On the rivalry with Cuba)

"The history of baseball is so strong in Cuba. They have such a great tradition of players and coaches. I think it is a respectful rivalry on both sides. We take it very seriously and both countries are very competitive. It is great for our sport. Anytime you get an opportunity to play Cuba in international play, emotions are going to be a little heightened and we saw a little bit of that from both sides today."

Infielder Raynel Delgado

(On facing Cuba)

"We expected a tough game from the get-go. We knew we were going to have to bring our A-game today and we knew they were going to come out and be aggressive. We just had to play our game. Like I said yesterday, I wanted to beat them and today we did just that."

(On Cole Wilcox)

"It was his day today. Seven innings, two hits, he came to play today. What a clutch performance by him."

(On finishing pool play undefeated)

"That's what we wanted to do, get to 5-0 and be in good shape for the Super Round. Now it's time to go win the gold."

Outfielder Alek Thomas

(On having three hits today)

"It is a game of adjustments. We did a little extra hitting this morning and I tweaked a few things in my swing and with my feet, just making I am aligned with the pitcher."

(On playing Cuba)

"I know the other players who have played internationally before had a little bit of a history with Cuba and I could see it. They have a lot of good players on their team and it was a fun game to play today. I feel like we really bonded as a team and really came together."

(On finishing pool play undefeated)

"Our mentality is just to keep on winning, no matter how we get it. We are trying to whatever we can to get the next win. It doesn't matter if we strike out 23 times, we are going to find a way to score runs and our pitchers are going to get their job done."

Frank Jagoda Named 18U National Team Director

Jagoda will oversee day-to-day operations for the 18U National Team and two national team development programs

February 11, 2019

DURHAM, N.C. - USA Baseball named Frank Jagoda the Director of the 18U National Team on Tuesday. In this role, Jagoda will oversee the day-to-day operations of the 18U National Team program, as well as the 16U and 17U National Team Development Programs, and will also work closely with the recently announced Prospect Development Pipeline League.

He returns to USA Baseball after serving as an assistant coach for the 2017 15U National Team that won a gold medal at the COPABE Pan-Am "AA" Championships, and as a task force member for numerous national teams and national team identification events over the last five years.

"We are thrilled to welcome Frank Jagoda to the organization in a full-time capacity as the 18U National Team Director," USA Baseball's Executive Director/CEO, Paul Seiler, said. "Frank has been a part of the USA Baseball family as a coach and task force member since 2014 and we are confident his experience and coaching philosophies will translate perfectly to this role as we continue to build upon the incredible achievements of our national teams, national team development programs and our athletes."

Jagoda brings over ten years of collegiate and professional baseball coaching experience to his new role with the 18U National Team. He most recently served as the Pitching Coach for Rehabilitation for the Minnesota Twins, where he oversaw all of the on-field rehabilitation for the club and served as the pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League Twins in Fort Meyers, Florida.

Prior to his tenure with the Twins, he was the head coach at Patrick Henry Community College (Martinsville, Va.) from 2016-2017, where he led the Patriots to a 79-38 overall record, guided the program to its first-ever regular season Region X championship and was named the 2016 Region X Coach of the Year. Jagoda was also a graduate assistant and assistant coach at Canisius College from 2012-2014 and helped lead the Golden Griffins to its first-ever NCAA Regional berth in 2013, before leading Wingate University to a spot in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Championship as its pitching coach and recruiting coordinator in 2015.

Jagoda is immediately tasked with leading Team USA at the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup in South Korea. The U.S. is looking to win an unprecedented fifth consecutive world title after taking home gold in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017. The 18U National Team program has won eight consecutive gold medals on the international stage dating back to 2011.

For more information on the 18U National Team, please visit USABaseball.com or follow along on Twitter at @USABaseball18U.

2018 USA Baseball Award Winners Announced

Collegiate National Team member Adley Rutschman named Richard W. "Dick" Case Award winner

January 11, 2019

DURHAM, N.C. - USA Baseball announced the recipients of its annual organizational awards on Friday, recognizing the top athletes, coaches and performances from the 2018 USA Baseball national teams. Collegiate National Team member Adley Rutschman (Sherwood, Ore.) was named the Richard W. "Dick" Case Award winner, becoming the 12th Collegiate National Team member to earn athlete of the year honors. The award is given annually to USA Baseball's top player in honor of the organization's founding Executive Director and CEO.

Collegiate National Team manager Paul Mainieri earned the program's second award of the year when he was named the Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year. USA Baseball also recognized the 15U National Team with two awards in 2018, including Team of the Year and naming Manager Jason Maxwell the Developmental Coach of the Year after the team won its first-ever world championship at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup.

18U National Team member Bobby Witt Jr. (Colleyville, Texas) was honored with the International Performance of the Year Award for his strong showing in the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships gold medal game, while Women's National Team member Megan Baltzell (Stafford, Va.) took home the Sportswoman of the Year Award following an exceptional performance in the 2018 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women's Baseball World Cup.

Lastly, Karsten Whitson was named the Volunteer Coach of the Year after serving as a pitching coach at the 2018 14U National Team Development Program.

"We are excited to celebrate the people and performances that made 2018 another outstanding year for USA Baseball," USA Baseball Executive Director and CEO Paul Seiler said. "It is an honor to be represented by coaches, athletes and staff that are such exceptional global ambassadors for our country and the game of baseball on the international stage. We are extremely proud to recognize their 2018 accomplishments with these awards."

USA Baseball continued its incredible success against international competition in 2018, finishing the year with gold medals at the COPABE U-12 Pan-American Championships, WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup and the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships. After winning the WBSC U-15 World Cup, Team USA is now the defending world champions for all three youth age levels. The Collegiate National Team also built on its 2017 success when it once again won all three of its international friendship series against Chinese Taipei, Japan and Cuba in 2018

Rutschman was awarded the Richard W. "Dick" Case Award following a strong summer showing for the Collegiate National Team. He joined Team USA after winning the 2018 NCAA College World Series with Oregon State and was immediately a leader both on and off the field. He paced the team in batting average (.355), slugging percentage (.516) and on-base percentage (.432), and also finished the summer leading the squad in doubles with five in nine games.

In addition, Rutschman personified the off-field qualities that the Richard W. "Dick" Case Award honors. The catcher was the quintessential teammate and an undisputed leader in the clubhouse while also exemplifying sportsmanship and love of the game throughout the summer.

Mainieri was named the Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year after leading the Collegiate National Team to series wins over Chinese Taipei, Japan and Cuba for the second year in a row. Under his guidance, Team USA started its summer undefeated against international competition with a five-game sweep of Chinese Taipei and finished with a 11-3 record. The series win against Cuba marked its fourth in a row in the annual series and was just the second time in Collegiate National Team history that Team USA has claimed a series win on Cuban soil.

USA Baseball's Team of the Year award was given to the 15U National Team after it won its first-ever world championship with a 7-1 gold medal-game victory over Panama at the 2018 WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup. The team finished the tournament with an 8-1 record, a .323 batting average, 69 RBI, 17 doubles, five triples and three home runs while outscoring opponents 88-13 en route to the gold medal. In addition, the pitching staff tallied a collective team ERA of 1.24 over 58.0 innings and four players were named to the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup All-World Team. Maxwell's tutelage, leadership and guidance of the squad as this year's manager led to him being named the 2018 Developmental Coach of the Year.

"Jason Maxwell has been an asset to USA Baseball for many years and he brought an impressive amount of leadership and expertise to the 2018 15U National Team," Seiler said. "His ability to develop and guide these young players to new heights was evident and the team's journey to the program's first world championship was impressive to watch. We couldn't be happier to honor him and this year's team with these awards."

Witt Jr. earned the 2018 International Performance of the Year Award after hitting for a natural cycle in the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships gold medal game. The Colleyville, Texas, native hit a single in the second, an RBI-double in the third, a lead-off triple in the fourth and completed the cycle with a two-run home run in the fifth to lead the red, white and blue's offense in the 17-2 defeat of Panama. Following the game, Witt Jr. was named the tournament MVP and also picked up the best slugger and highest batting average awards after hitting .576 with three doubles, three triples, three home runs and 18 RBI in nine games.

Two-time Women's National Team alum Baltzell was named Sportswoman of the Year after hitting a team-high .500 in the 2018 WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup and leading the tournament in home runs with two. The lefty now owns the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup home run record after hitting one in the 2016 World Cup and two in 2018. In addition to being named to the All-World Team following the event's conclusion, Baltzell also won two individual awards for her stellar 2018 performance, taking home the hardware for most home runs (2) and most RBI (10).

Lastly, Karsten Whitson, who won a gold medal as a player on the 2009 18U National Team, was named the 2018 Volunteer Coach of the Year after serving as a pitching coach for the 14U National Team Development Program's Stars team. The pitching staff thrived under Whitson, combining for 16 strikeouts in the three-game series. Six of those pitchers were invited to the 15U National Team Trials and one - Karson Bowen - was named to the 2018 15U National Team.

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) annually honors one Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team of the Year based on nominations from its National Governing Bodies, as well as Developmental and Volunteer Coach of the Year awards. USA Baseball's award winners serve as the organization's nominees in their respective categories with the USOC.

Team USA Captures Gold, Defeats Panama 17-2

CHITRE, Panama - Bobby Witt Jr. (Colleyville, Texas) hit for the cycle and Jack Leiter (Summit, N.J.) was masterful on the mound as Team USA (9-0) defeated Panama 17-2 in the gold medal game of the 2018 COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championship on Sunday at Rico Cedeno Stadium.

The victory marked the fifth consecutive COPABE U-18 Pan-American championship for the stars and stripes and is the eighth-straight gold medal for the USA Baseball 18U National Team in international competitions dating back to 2011.

The U.S. also clinched its spot in the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation U-18 Baseball World Cup. Team USA is the four-time defending world champion.

Starting pitcher Leiter set the tone in the gold medal game from the very first pitch for the red, white and blue, striking out five of the first six batters he faced in the first two innings. Leiter (2-0) dominated on the mound, earning the victory and striking out nine batters in his four innings of work.

Offensively, Witt Jr. was the catalyst for the U.S. He kick-started the offense in the bottom of the second inning, collecting a single to centerfield and later scored the first run of the game on two Panama throwing errors.

The stars and stripes blew the game wide open in the third, scoring nine runs on nine hits to give the team a commanding 10-0 lead. Anthony Volpe (Watchung, N.J.) knocked in C.J. Abrams (Alpharetta, Ga.) with an RBI-single for first run of the frame and Riley Greene (Oviedo, Fla.) followed with one of his own in the very next at-bat, extending the lead to three and forcing a Panama pitching change.

Witt Jr. then roped an RBI-double to center to score Volpe from third base and Tyler Callihan (Neptune Beach, Fla.) and C.J. Abrams (Alpharetta, Ga.) both hit RBI-singles to put the U.S. ahead 7-0. Corbin Carroll (Seattle, Wash.) then delivered the big blow in the inning, hitting a two-out, three-run homer to right-centerfield to give Team USA a 10-run advantage.

The stars and stripes scored another two runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Witt Jr. once again got the offense started, leading off the fourth with a triple to left field, and later scored on a groundout by Callihan. Yohandy Morales (Miami, Fla.) then followed with his second home run of the tournament. Witt Jr. completed the cycle in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-RBI home run to left field, giving the U.S. a 14-0 lead after five.

Team USA scored its last three runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a two-RBI double by Pete Crow-Armstrong (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) and Carroll's fourth RBI of the day on a groundout to the first baseman for a 17-1 lead.

Panama scratched another run across the plate in the top of the ninth inning for the final score of 17-2. Collectively, the U.S. pitching staff struck out 14 batters on the day and surrendered just three hits and one earned run.

The U.S. squad was dominant offensively throughout the tournament, outscoring its opponents 131-27 in nine games. The 131 runs scored is the most an 18U National Team has ever scored in an international tournament.

Witt Jr. was named the tournament MVP and he also picked up the best slugger and highest batting average awards after hitting .576 with three doubles, three triples, three home runs and 18 RBI in nine games. In addition to Witt Jr.'s honors, six members of the stars and stripes brought home extra hardware. Carroll received the honor for most stolen bases, Greene received awards for the most RBI and home runs, while Volpe earned the award for most runs scored.

QUOTESUSA Baseball 18U National Team Manager Jack Leggett(On winning the U-18 Pan-American Championship)
"I'm really proud of the way we played. We did all of the things we needed to do to win. We pitched extremely well and had timely hits. We really swung the bats as well as I have ever seen. We played great defense and ran the bases extremely aggressively. I'm just proud to be their coach and we showed what USA Baseball is all about. We were head and shoulders above the others. Proud of how we finished out the tournament."

USA Baseball 18U National Team Director Matt Blood(On winning the U-18 Pan-American Championship)
"I'm really proud of this team and what we accomplished this year. We overcame some hurdles to get where we are, but the guys played really hard and played the game the right way. We scored a lot of runs and they made a pretty strong statement this year. I am proud of what they accomplished."

Team USA Concludes Super Round With Win

CHITRE, Panama - Team USA used six home runs to power past Nicaragua 12-3 as the squad wrapped up Super Round play at the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships on Saturday at Rico Cedeno Stadium in Chitre, Panama.

With the win, the team improved to 8-0 overall in the tournament and 5-0 in Super Round play.

Team USA got off to a fast start as Riley Greene (Oviedo, Fla.) hit a two-RBI home run in the first inning to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead.

Nicaragua answered in the top of the third to cut the lead to one before the stars and stripes busted the game wide open in the bottom half. With runners on second and third, Corbin Carroll (Seattle, Wash.) hit the team's second homer of the game. Two batters later, Greene knocked his second dinger of the day to extend the lead to 6-1.

In the fourth, Dylan Crews (Longwood, Fla.) joined the action with a two-RBI homer of his own to give Team USA an 8-1 lead. Another solo shot, this time by Bobby Witt Jr. (Colleyville, Texas), gave the team its fifth home run of the day and a 9-1 advantage.

Nicaragua added its second run in the sixth inning before Tyler Callihan (Neptune Beach, Fla.) hit Team USA's sixth homer of the afternoon in the bottom of the seventh.

After Nicaragua plated a run in the eighth inning, Carroll hit an RBI-triple down the right field line for the final score of 12-3.

Starting pitcher Brennan Malone (Matthews, N.C.) earned his second win of the tournament after hurling three innings and punching out three. Jared Kelley (Refugio, Texas) pitched four innings in relief, striking out two before Sammy Faltine (Richmond, Texas) came in to close the game.

Up next, the United States (8-0; 5-0) will take on the host country, Panama (7-1; 4-1), in the gold medal game of the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships on Sunday, December 2. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET at Rico Cedeno Stadium in Chitre, Panama.

Team USA Clinches Place In Gold Medal Game With Win

CHITRE, Panama - Starting pitcher Riley Cornelio's (Monument, Colo.) solid outing on the mound pushed Team USA past Venezuela 12-1 in game three of the Super Round at the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships on Friday at Rico Cedeno Stadium in Chitre, Panama. The stars and stripes are now 4-0 in Super Round play.

With the win, the U.S. clinched a spot in Sunday's gold medal game and qualified for the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup.

Venezuela got on the board first early in the game, scoring its lone run in the top of the first. Cornelio settled in after that though, pitching five shutout innings while only allowing three hits.

Venezuela's lead didn't last long as Team USA answered with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the first. RBI singles by Anthony Volpe (Watchung, N.J.), Riley Greene (Oviedo, Fla.) and Tyler Callihan (Neptune Beach, Fla.) gave the U.S. a 3-1 lead that it never relinquished.

Two more runs came across for Team USA in the second inning when Yohandy Morales (Miami, Fla.) scored on a groundout and Volpe singled through the right side to score Pete Crow-Armstrong (Sherman Oaks, Calif.). The stars and stripes added another a run in the third inning after an RBI single from Drew Romo (The Woodlands, Texas) to extend the lead to 6-1.

In the fourth frame, Greene recorded his second RBI of the day with a single that scored Carroll to give the U.S. a 7-1 advantage. The stars and stripes then plated five runs in the fifth when Volpe notched his third and fourth RBI with a single and Witt Jr. roped a two-RBI triple before Callihan plated Witt for the final score of 12-1.

Volpe led the way offensively with four RBI and three hits. Cornelio (2-0) earned the win for his efforts on the mound while allowing just five hits and striking out three. Max Rajcic (Fullerton, Calif.) entered the game in relief in the top of the seventh and final inning to close out the game, striking out one batter.

The United States (7-0; 4-0) will wrap up the Super Round of the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships against Nicaragua (4-3; 1-2) on Saturday, December 1. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET at Rico Cedeno Stadium in Chitre, Panama.

Continue to follow @USABaseball18U on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the 18U National Team.

Team USA Improves to 3-0 in Super Round

CHITRE, Panama - Starting pitcher Avery Short (Indianapolis, Ind.) opened the game with six shutout innings as Team USA bested Canada 11-2 to continue Super Round play in the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships on Thursday at Rico Cedeno Stadium in Chitre, Panama.

With the win, the stars and stripes improved to 3-0 in the Super Round and are the lone remaining undefeated team in the tournament.

Team USA jumped out to a hot start, scoring two runs in the first inning. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame, Riley Greene (Oviedo, Fla.) reached base on a fielder's choice that scored C.J. Abrams (Alpharetta, Ga.) for the first run of the contest. Corbin Carroll (Seattle, Wash.) then scored on a throwing error by Canada to give the red, white and blue a 2-0 lead.

The bats stayed hot for the U.S. in the second inning as Anthony Volpe (Watchung, N.J.) hit a two-RBI single up the middle to push the lead to 4-0. Greene then hit a double down the right-field line to score Volpe, before Bobby Witt Jr. (Colleyville, Texas) hit an RBI single through the middle to extend the lead to 6-0.

The score would stay the same until the bottom of the sixth inning when Team USA added four more runs for a 10-0 advantage. With men on second and third, Pete Crow-Armstrong (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) singled to center field to clear the bases. In the next at-bat, Drew Romo (The Woodlands, Texas) capped the scoring with a two-run homer to right-center field.

With six scoreless innings of work under his belt, Short stepped on the mound in the seventh, where he pitched one out, before giving up two runs to cut the lead to 10-2. Timmy Manning (Pompano Beach, Fla.) completed the final two outs of the inning before Tyler Callihan (Neptune Beach, Fla.) closed the game with three scoreless innings of relief.

Team USA added its final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth when Crow-Armstrong scored on a wild pitch to make the final score 11-2.

Witt Jr. led the team offensively with four hits in five plate appearances on the day. A trio of players scored three runs to pace the squad, while Greene led the team with three RBI. Short (2-0) earned the win on the mound, striking out four batters on the day.

The United States (6-0; 3-0) will continue the Super Round of the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships against Venezuela (3-1; 1-2) on Friday, November 20. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET at Rico Cedeno Stadium in Chitre, Panama.

Team USA Wins Thriller Over Panama

CHITRE, Panama - After facing its first deficit of the tournament, Team USA rallied to drop the host country Panama, 9-8 to open Super Round play of the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships on Wednesday at Rico Cedeno Stadium in Chitre, Panama.

Riley Greene (Oviedo, Fla.) opened the scoring when he singled through the right side as Corbin Carroll (Seattle, Wash.) crossed the plate to give Team USA a 1-0 lead. Anthony Volpe (Watchung, N.J.) then added a run after an error by Panama as the stars and stripes jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first.

The lead did not last long, however, as Panama plated four in the top of the second, prompting the U.S. to go to Ryan Hawks (Bowling Green, Kent.) out of the bullpen. With a runner at first and still no outs in the inning, Hawks forced a double play and a grounder to end the inning.

With Team USA facing its first deficit of the tournament, it scored three runs in the bottom of the third to regain the lead 5-4. Bobby Witt Jr. (Colleyville, Texas) drove in the first run of the inning with an RBI-double to right field. In the next at-bat, Tyler Callihan (Neptune Beach, Fla.) reached on an error as Witt Jr. scored to even the game. Drew Romo (The Woodlands, Texas) followed with an RBI-single to right field to retake the lead.

After Panama scored a run in the fourth to tie the game, Team USA added three runs in the home half of the inning to regain its advantage. Greene continued his hot streak with an RBI-double to the right side to plate Carroll. With the bases loaded, the stars and stripes scored two more runs on a hit by pitch and a walk to take the lead, 8-5.

The red, white and blue added its final run of the game when Carroll hit a no-doubt home run in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead to 9-5.

In the seventh, Panama trimmed the lead to 9-8 and forced a U.S. pitching change. Jacob Meador (Burleson, Texas) came into the game to relieve Hawks and was stellar in his three innings of relief, earning the save while striking out four. With the Panamanian crowd buzzing in the top of the ninth as the game-tying runner at the plate, Meador sat Panama down in order to end the game.

For his efforts, Hawks (1-0) earned the win on the mound, striking out two batters in five innings pitched. All nine batters earned a hit in the contest for Team USA, while four players led the team with two apiece. Carroll paced the team with three runs scored on the day.

The United States (5-0) will continue the Super Round of the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships against Canada (4-1) on Thursday, November 29. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET at Rico Cedeno Stadium in Chitre, Panama.

Team USA Earns Win to Stay Perfect In Pool Play

SANTIAGO DE VERAGUAS, Panama - Team USA used a 13-6 win over the Dominican Republic to clinch the No. 1 overall seed in the Super Round of the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships on Wednesday at Estadio Omar Torrijos Herrera in Santiago de Veraguas, Panama.

Brennan Malone (Matthews, N.C.) got the start on the mound for the U.S. and opened the game with four shutout innings, striking out four while allowing just three hits.

After a scoreless start to the contest for both teams, the stars and stripes exploded for five runs in the bottom of the third to take a commanding lead. The first run of the afternoon came on an RBI-double down the left field line by Anthony Volpe (Watchung, N.J.) that scored Drew Romo (The Woodlands, Texas). Riley Greene (Oviedo, Fla.) then stepped up to the plate with two runners on base and hit a three-run home run to deep left-center field to give the U.S. squad a 4-0 advantage. On the very next at-bat, Bobby Witt Jr. (Colleyville, Texas) got in on the fun, hitting a solo homer to right field to extend the lead to 5-0.

The bats stayed hot in the fourth as Team USA added four more runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by an RBI-double to right field by Romo. The four runs gave the U.S. squad a 9-0 lead going into the fifth before Romo continued his strong offensive day and pushed the lead to double digits with an RBI-single to right field in the sixth.

The Dominican Republic scored its first runs of the day in the top of the sixth, cutting the lead to 10-4 before Corbin Carroll (Seattle, Wash.) scored on a balk in the bottom half to get one back for the U.S. and make the score 11-4. After both teams went scoreless in the seventh, the Dominican Republic added another run in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to six.

In the bottom of the inning, C.J. Abrams (Alpharetta, Ga.) hit a single up the middle and sped around the bases to score on a three-base error by the Dominican Republic center fielder. Two more runs in the inning for Team USA made the score 13-5 going into the final frame. Tyler Callihan (Neptune Beach, Fla.) took the mound to close the game out in the top of the ninth and, despite the Dominican Republic pushing one across on an error, secured the 13-6 win.

Volpe and Callihan each registered three hits to lead the team on the day. Greene paced the team with three RBI in the game. Malone (1-0) earned the win on the mound for the U.S. while Max Rajcic (Fullerton, Calif.) struck out five in 2.2 innings of relief.

The United States will begin the Super Round of the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships against the host country, Panama, on Wednesday, November 28. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET at Rico Cedeno Stadium in Chitre, Panama.

Team USA Clinches Spot in Super Round with Win

SANTIAGO DE VERAGUAS, Panama - Jack Leiter (Summit, N.J.) threw four innings and struck out 11 as the U.S. continued pool play at the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships on Monday, with a 15-5 win over Brazil at Estadio Omar Torrijos Herrera in Santiago de Veraguas, Panama.

Team USA's offense fired on all cylinders early, as Tyler Callihan (Neptune Beach, Fla.) cleared the bases with a three-RBI single to right field in the top of the first to take an early 3-0 lead. Leiter followed that by striking out the side in the bottom of the first to kick off his strong start on the mound.

After a scoreless second inning for the U.S. squad, Brazil scored two runs in the bottom half to cut the lead to 3-2. The two runs scored by Brazil snapped a streak of 11 consecutive scoreless innings by Team USA's defense and pitching staff to begin the tournament.

The stars and stripes didn't waste time responding as they added three more runs in the top of the third to make the score 6-2. After three more punch outs for Leiter in the bottom half of the third, the U.S. bats once again got hot in the fourth. Riley Greene (Oviedo, Fla.) singled to right field to score Pete Crow-Armstrong (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) and Anthony Volpe (Watchung, N.J.) and give the team an 8-2 lead. Drew Romo (The Woodlands, Texas) then got in on the action with a double to left field that plated Greene and Callihan, who drew a walk earlier in the inning, to make it 10-2 in favor of Team USA.

With the team leading 10-2, Leiter once again struck out three Brazilian batters in a scoreless bottom of the fourth. A double by Volpe and another single by Greene drove in two more runs in the fifth to pad the lead to 12-2.

After giving up three runs in the bottom of the fifth, Team USA immediately followed with its final three runs of the game in the sixth inning highlighted by a two-RBI double from C.J. Abrams (Alpharetta, Ga.), for the final score of 15-5.

Leiter (1-0) pitched four innings in the win for Team USA, giving up two unearned runs and ammassing 11 strikeouts. Sammy Faltine (Richmond, Texas) came on in relief for the red, white and blue in the fifth inning and struck out three batters in four innings.

The United States will close pool play of the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships against the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, November 26, with the winner of the game securing the No. 1 seed out of Pool A. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET at Estadio Omar Torrijos Herrera in Santiago de Veraguas, Panama.

Team USA Takes Down Peru

SANTIAGO DE VERAGUAS, Panama - Team USA continued pool play at the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships on Saturday, November 24, with a dominating 26-0 victory over Peru at Estadio Omar Torrijos Herrera in Santiago de Veraguas, Panama.

The win marks the second consecutive shutout for Team USA. The team has outscored its opponents 38-0 in its opening two games.

The stars and stripes began the game by plating three runs in the first inning. Anthony Volpe (Watchung, N.J.) drove in the first run with a single as Corbin Carroll (Seattle, Wash.) came home to score. After Riley Greene (Oviedo, Fla.) was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat, Bobby Witt Jr. (Colleyville, Texas) hit a single to bring home Volpe. Team USA scored its final run of the inning when Greene scored on a wild pitch.

Avery Short (Indianapolis, Ind.) shut down Peru's offense in the bottom of the first with a one-two-three inning before the U.S. scored six runs in the top of the second. After the team extended its lead to 6-0 to start the inning, Witt Jr. continued the scoring with an RBI-triple to left field before Tyler Callihan (Neptune Beach, Fla.) hit the team's second home run of the tournament to give the U.S. a 9-0 advantage.

Team USA kept the momentum rolling into the third inning when its offense exploded for 12 runs in the inning on seven hits. Callihan's bat stayed hot as he came through with a triple that notched his second RBI of the game. Witt Jr., Volpe, Greene and Pete Crow-Armstrong (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) each recorded RBI doubles in the inning. The U.S. squad added five more runs in the fourth to extend its lead to 26-0.

Five pitchers combined for the shutout, allowing just two hits and striking out nine. Starting pitcher Short (1-0) picked up the win for the stars and stripes.

Offensively, the team amassed 18 hits on the day, led by Carroll, Volpe and Witt Jr. with three hits each. Witt Jr. led the team with five RBI while Carroll and Volpe led the team in runs scored after crossing the plate four times apiece.

Team USA will have an off day on Sunday, November 25, before continuing pool play at the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships against Brazil on Monday, November 26. First pitch against Brazil is set for 2 p.m. ET at Estadio Omar Torrijos Herrera in Santiago, Panama.